YOUR FAITH WILL CARRY YOU - PART 2

Posted on March 3, 2011 @ focusontheheart.org
On the "Hope for the Heart" page

Faith is a powerful thing to have and to understand!

We excuse our lack of the power of faith in our lives so many times by counting ourselves weak and vulnerable as humans. This isn't what Jesus wants for us as his children and messengers to the rest of the world!

Even still, as people were talking, the disciples had heard rumors of how Jesus was really from the devil and how Jesus had been breaking the laws that had been laid down by the religious leaders concerning the sabbath day. So we must remember all of that when we see the disciples reaction to the miracles Jesus performed on this day in the storm. Let's read on,

And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, "What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" ~ Mark 4:41

It's interesting to read in the previous chapters of Mark how the evil spirits all seemed to know and acknowledged that Jesus was the Holy Son of God and we can also read how that the Holy Spirit descended as the Heavens opened up when Jesus was baptised by John. These same men had been with Jesus to see allot of these things take place, but they hadn't understood and recognized in the time of panic that this same Jesus was the Son of God and has the power to do all things with anything or anyonethat He so chooses!

Do we still struggle with this today in our society of logic and legalistic thinking? Would Jesus ask us the same thing that He asked His disciples; as we think we are so smart and capable that we attempt to get through most of life's most difficult moments entirely on our own?
Do we often feel surprised when Jesus answers our prayers? Why should we, if we truly have constant unwavering faith in Him? He never wavers from His promises as we go through life's difficult circumstances; our faith is what will change the way that things turn out and it is each person's faith in God that will deliver and restore them in the presence of life's storms.

Jesus was there in the ship the whole time! The sooner that we understand that this holds true in our lives, the sooner we will find our lives filled with the unlimited resource of miracles and blessings of God through our faith in Him. The faith of the disciples, or should I say, the lack of faith was the the cause of their distress and panic in this storm. It was their decision to take on the storm all by themselves and did you happen to notice in that last passage that nothing was said about the water in the boat?

Jesus stopped the storm, but they still had a boat full of water!

I just can't help but wonder how they dealt with that situation. That's the problem with waiting many times when crisis comes. We still have the repairs and the cleanup to do as a result of waiting to call for help. Use your faith and call out to God early when a sudden crisis hits you! Your FAITH will carry you safely through the storms and calm the waves and wind.

I'd like to help illustrate this for you. Hang with me, you won't want to miss this!

Question - How does our faith carry us through the times of difficulty?

We must be careful not to think that we are constantly on a battleground and that we must always be ready to fight off the unseen forces of satan. In sharing my final point, I would like to point out how living our lives battling satan would be very different from what Jesus was teaching His disciples during the time that He was here walking amoung men on the earth.

The disciples may have tried to handle their difficulties all on their own at times, but I believe that they eventually found, as we will also, that it is not for us to wage war against the devil and sin by our strength, because we will loose the battle every time!

It is by FAITH in God that we WIN our battles and remain victorious over the evil forces and the difficulties of this world.
That is going to mean giving up our ego trips; putting our own weapons away and trusting in the all consuming power of God! That means we will have fear and respect for the Almighty One who is greater than us all and admitting this daily! Let's look at some verses that illustrate man's Faith in God that carried him through circumstances of difficulty!

The following passage tells us about a group of men who reached out to help a paralyzed man who was completely helpless. They didn't decide to pitch in to get him a new hospital bed or take him meals on wheels. They, in faith, took action to change the man's life forever! They believed in the spoken word of the Lord! By faith, they carried him to where Jesus was speaking.

And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy(paralyzed), which was carried by four men and when they could not come near to him because of the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed that the sick of the palsy(paralyzed) lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee". ~ Mark 2:3-5

It is true that our sins are what keep us held captive in our troubles and it is our faith in the Lord that allows us the deliverance from the bondage of sin and doubt. The faith of these men showed on this day and Jesus recognized it within their hearts and in their willingness to come to Him for help. Remember, it's so very important for us to be used of God andlive a life of freedom from sin's bondage! I ask you,"Why would anyone choose to remain bound by sin?" TO BE CONTINUED. . . .